


The House Along Barton Hallow Road

by spiderlillium



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gothic, Inspired by Addams Family, M/M, Southern Gothic, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-02 23:55:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14556366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderlillium/pseuds/spiderlillium
Summary: Armitage Hux makes the decision to move out of the city for his brother's health, buying a lovely house in a small, quiet town in the South.Once there though, he is slowly beginning to realize Alderaan isn't as quiet as it seemed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One year later and I'm finally contributing to this fucking ship. Goddamn it.

There is a bump in the night. Armitage ignores it.

Beside him, his brother does not appear to have heard the noise entirely. Techie has his eyes glued to the screen of the TV, slumped against him and curled on the couch, lips parted, dead to the world. Armitage wishes he had that level of concentration right now.  
  
There is another bump, somewhere to the left.  
  
Armitage couldn't help himself – he follows the sound, but there is nothing past his living room window when he turns to look. The lacy curtain billows in the soft breeze that passes, but after that, nothing.  
  
Right. It might just be the wind.  
  
Armitage stares at the window for a moment more, cranes his neck to scan the hallway. He thinks maybe, his cat had been messing around with the boxes – he and Techie still haven't finished unpacking, and a hallway full of them is just a cat's paradise. That may be it.  
  
He turns back to watch the TV, still trying to convince himself. A moment later, Millicent, his cat, emerges from behind a corner and saunters into the room, jumping up on the couch to join them. She settles on Techie's legs, going round and round until his brother pulls the cat to his lap.  
  
Outside, a loud crash that sounds like his trash can falling makes Armitage jump.  
  
“That is _it,_ ” He says with conviction, standing up.  
  
“Armie,” Techie sighs, craddling Millicent in his arms. “It's just probably the wind.”  
  
“That was our trash can,” Armitage says, a little frustrated that his brother is actually arguing against him.   
  
“Our trash can that's _empty_. The wind just probably knocked it over,” Another sigh. Techie looks like he'd rather continue watching whales on the Discovery Channel instead of going outside to investigate.  
  
“Just stay here,” Because Armitage is someone who just cannot let things go, he turns and heads to the door. He could hear his brother calling out his name, twice when he gets to the foyer. Slipping into his loafers, Armitage unlocks the front door and steps out.  
  
Alderaan in night time is not as nice as it is when the sun is out. Since there are a lot of trees around, afternoons are almost always shady and cool. But when it gets dark and the moon is high in the sky, suddenly there are moving shadows when the wind picks up, and despite the fullness of the moon, everything just seems darker than what must be normal.  
  
Or that might just be Armitage's imagination.  
  
“Hey,” Techie, despite being the one prone to the cold, brings him a coat. He's only wearing his cardigan and that matching blue, whale-patterned pajamas he bought him last Christmas. His slippers slap obnoxiously against the ground, making way too much noise for Armitage's liking at this point of their investigation. “Have you found anything?”  
  
“Not yet,” Armitage says, looking around. The trees sway in the wind, the leaves whispering.   
  
Techie folds his cardigan closer to himself. “Let's just get back inside, Armie.”  
  
“Just a moment,” At the corner of his eye, he sees something, a shadow of movement. Following it leads him toward the back of the house, toward where he had placed the trash can earlier that day.  
  
“See, I told you,” Techie says, when they both arrive to see their trash can lying on the ground, lid upturned a foot away. “Just the wind.”  
  
Armitage says nothing for a moment, unconvinced. “Right. Well–”  
  
Techie gasps suddenly, jumping in his fright. Armitage looks around wildly, panic shooting through him, until he sees – he sees _it.  
  
_ Two pairs of glowing eyes in the dark, five foot away.  
  
“Who's there?” Armitage demands, like a fool. Distantly, he thinks, if this was some deranged killer or a supernatural being, whatever he says would just fall on deaf ears.  
  
“Sorry,” The figure in the dark says. It sounds like a man.  
  
Armitage feels like he was cheated out of a suspenseful encounter for only a moment.  
  
What comes out of hiding is a man – tall, dark-haired and dark-clothed, simillar to his companion – a dog, large and equally dark. When they step into the moonlight, Armitage sees that the dog is on a leash, the pitbull looking up at him, tail wagging, tongue lolling out.  
  
“Oh, you gave us a fright,” Techie says, awfully British and far too trusting for his sake.  
  
“Sorry,” The man says again, looking a little sheepish. “My dog – she likes running after squirrels. I get distracted one second and she goes right off bolting, out of my grasp.”  
  
“It's not a problem,” Armitage says, polite, but still suspicious.  
  
The man nods, looks past him. His eyes linger on the house Armitage had bought just a week ago, looks at it like he's looking at clouds that might bring rain any moment now. “You guys just moved in?”  
  
“Yes,” Techie says, smilling. “Are you from around here?”  
  
“I'm your neighbor,” The man says, pointing with his thumb past his shoulder. “My house is just over there.”  
  
Armitage was about to say he has driven past this side of the town plenty of times but not once did he see _any_ other house beside theirs, but caught himself at the last minute and wisely kept his mouth shut.  
  
“Oh, that's lovely!” Techie stutters, probably thinking about the same thing. “Er – Can I ask – What's your name?”  
  
“Ben,” Says the man, “Ben Solo.”  
  
“I'm William Hux, but just call me Techie,” He says, “And this is my brother, Armitage.”  
  
Ben raises his eyebrows. Armitage narrows his eyes.  
  
“Just Hux would do,” says Armitage, already sensing a comment coming about his name.  
  
“Of course,” Ben nods, looking amused. Armitage already hates him. “Well, Techie, Hux, uh – I was just about to have dinner with my family, and since you're new in town – maybe you'd like to join us, get to know the crowd. My Uncle and cousin only just came home too, so we probably have too much food on the table. What do you say?”  
  
Armitage politely declines the same time that Techie eagerly accepts.  
  
“We already had dinner, but thank you for the offer,” Armitage ploughs on through, ignoring the look his brother is giving him.  
  
“Right,” Ben nods, glancing at each other in turn. “Maybe next time?”  
  
“Definitely,” Techie smiles, and Armitage grabs his elbow in a bit of a warning.  
  
“Good night,” Armitage says, already turning away.  
  
“Good night, Hux,” Ben says, “Good night, Techie.”  
  
Techie waves back at Ben as his brother marches them back to their house.  
  
Once inside, Armitage rounds in on his brother. “What the hell was that?”  
  
Techie had the gall to look offended. “What?”  
  
“You were being nice to a potential serial killer, _William_ that's what,” He sighs, locking the door as he gets out of his loafers. Millicent comes out to greet them in the foyer, meowing as she rubs her body against Hux's legs. “Did you see what he was doing before all that? He was standing in the dark, watching us!”  
  
“No, he wasn't,” Techie says, crossing his arms. “We just saw him like that. Doesn't mean he was watching us.”  
  
“If he wasn't watching us, then why didn't he say anything when we came around the backyard to have a look? He was just standing there!”  
  
“I don't know,” Techie admits with a shrug of the shoulders, “Maybe he was just shy – embarrassed. His dog did run a long way and ended up messing around our trash can.”  
  
“Not to mention – there isn't any houses near us – it's just us, on this street! I've checked!”  
  
“Maybe you made a mistake,” says Techie patiently.  
  
“It's just weird, that's all I'm saying,” Armitage hangs his coat on the rack, looking back to check the state of the locks on the door, just in case he hasn't done them properly the first time. “Don't you think so?”  
  
“You're just stressed out because of the move,” says Techie, “Come on, forget about all that. Let's go to sleep.”  
  
When the lights are all out and Techie is slumbering in the room right across from him, Armitage lies awake in his bed and stares at the ceiling for a long time.  
  
Outside, he hears another bump. Distant, but there.   
  
He closes his eyes but he does not sleep.  
  


* * *

  
His real-estate agent called it the Organa House. Armitage had been in awe with it the first time he saw it – two storeys of polished mahogany floors and cream, neat walls. A sweeping staircase. Tall windows. The house was all elegant arches and perfect pillars, with a curling, bronze chandelier in every main room. Needless to say, it was love at first sight.  
  
And, most notably, it came cheap.   
  
He had asked questions about that. Mr. Seeley said the previous owners of the house died in an accident. The property, including the land around it, fell into the hands of the Organas' favourite niece, as the old couple had been childless.  
  
“And she decided to sell it?” asked Armitage incredulously. He can't imagine ever parting with such a lovely home – and a home, he is guessing, that is not riddled with bad memories. Mr. Seeley did say the owner was the favourite niece.  
  
“She inherited her parent's house when they passed, too,” said Mr. Seeley, “She can't keep two houses.”  
  
Without a bad history, and coming with a cheap price, how can he not buy it?  
  
When the deal is sealed and the cash transferred, Hux moves in with his brother a week later. He gets all the other necessary things out of the way days before – the electricity, telephone, internet, and cable lines were all either fixed or installed before they arrived, the air-conditioning done even prior. Armitage abhors hassles, and with Techie still recovering from surgery, he'd hate for his brother to be stressed out just because of faulty wiring.  
  
It takes them the whole day to steer everything to place – and another to finish and tidy up. Armitage forgets about the odd encounter they had last night as he arranges his books in his study, slotting them into the shelf alphabetically, while Techie finishes placing their limited glassware into the cabinets downstairs.  
  
They had their lunch on the porch, the wind blowing in their faces. Techie has tied his hair up in a loose ponytail to combat the heat, cheeks and neck pink from the afternoon heat. Armitage tries to convince his brother to get back inside, but Techie remained cheerfully obstinate, munching on his salad as his legs dangled from the creaky rocking chair he's sitting on.  
  
The rest of the day was spent sorting through their clothes, folding them up or hanging them in their closet. Armitage can hear David Attenborough through Techie's room, narrating some animal in an African Savannah. It's a nice background noise, enough to get him through finishing his task faster so he could go back downstairs to mop the floor and do some laundry.  
  
Nearing dusk, Armitage takes a break but ends up falling asleep on his couch. He is only woken up by Millicent jumping up and sitting on his face.  
  
“What are we having for dinner?” Techie comes back downstairs, wearing soft pants and a loose t-shirt, cardigan lying on top of his bony shoulders.  
  
Having been awake only five minutes ago, Armitage blinks disorientedly as he makes his way into the kitchen. He remembers he hasn't shopped for groceries yet the same time he reaches out and opens his refrigerator door.  
  
“Oh,” says Techie, peering over his shoulder, “We could always eat out?”  
  
Armitage nods, admonishing himself for falling asleep on the couch. “Sorry. I forgot–”  
  
“Don't be like that,” Techie touches his brother's arm, smiling faintly. “You were exhausted. It's okay.”  
  
After a quick change of clothes, they both find themselves outside. Millicent is left in the house with a dinner of her own, unaware of her masters' plight as Armitage climbs in his white SUV and drives them back to town.  
  
Or he would have. Not even five minutes in to the drive, it becomes clear that he has forgotten another thing.  
  
“Fuck,” Armitage glares at the needle pointing to the red, lit sign on his dashboard indicating that his car is out of gas.  
  
“We could always walk back to town?” suggests Techie, unaffected by the turn of events.  
  
“I am _not_ making you walk that far,” Armitage undos his seat belt with a click, brow furrowed. “I'll walk and buy some gas. Go back home and wait there.”  
  
“Armie,” says Techie, sighing, “I'll be fine, don't worry. I can handle the distance.”  
  
“Go back home,” He says firmly, stepping out of the car now. “Don't be difficult.”  
  
“Armie–”  
  
“William, please, this is not the right time–”  
  
 _“Armie,”_ Techie says urgently, and that holds his attention. _“Look.”_  
  
He does. The road ahead is all dark asphalt, illuminated by sparse yellow orange streetlights. At first, Armitage sees nothing but that, but once his eyes adjust to the light, or lack thereof, he sees what Techie sees.  
  
A pair of glowing eyes in the dark.  
  
Armitage has half a mind to get back inside his car and lock it. The other half tells him to run. He wonders if he could be fast enough – Techie certainly won't be.  
  
“Stay in the car,” Armitage says, and slams the car door shut. Inside the vehicle, Techie says something he does not hear.  
  
The eyes draw closer, slowly. It approaches a lamp post, and Armitage's heart hammers in his chest at the impending revelation.  
  
Orange light hits a slim tire first. It is a bike, with a wire basket at the front holding a paper bag. The hands that steer it are revealed next, the arms illuminated a second later, then the rest of the body.  
  
It is a woman. Short, with short hair. Her face is small and comely, eyes unblinking as she stares back at Armitage. She does not stop walking – and soon, she passes the light of the lamp post, the darkness swallowing her and her bike once again.  
  
In the dark, her eyes do not shine anymore.  
  
“Good evening,” She greets him, when she is close enough. “Having some trouble?”  
  
Heartrate high and palms clammy, Armitage swallows his fear. It is fine. That was just a trick of the light. “Yes,” He says quickly, “My car – I ran out of gas.”  
  
“Ah,” The woman says, looking at him for a moment, then at Techie, who is still in the car. She smiles. “That happens sometimes. Are you the brothers who just moved yesterday?”  
  
Armitage doesn't know how she knows that, but he nods, anyway.   
  
“I'm your neighbor,” The woman says, and Armitage gets a rush of deja vu. “I live in the house next to yours.”  
  
“Right,” Armitage says curtly. There isn't a house next to theirs. There can't be, because it's all woods around them, from all sides.  
  
“My name is Rey,” The woman says, smilling, dimples showing. “Rey Skywalker.”  
  
“Armitage Hux,” He replies, just because Rey is looking expectantly at him. “The one in the car is my brother, William.”  
  
“A pleasure to meet you both,” Rey says. Armitage could see Techie waving at her, smiling back.  
  
“Why don't you boys come back home with me? Think I could help you out with your problem,” Rey suggests, still smiling.  
  
Armitage doesn't think he has met a person who could maintain that kind of smile for more than a minute. “Oh, I don't want to bother you with this,” He says, “We'll be fine, really.”  
  
“I insist,” says Rey, “We were just about to have dinner, my family and I. My dad and I just got back home from a trip, and Auntie's sure to have cooked a lot again tonight. Join us for dinner, won't you? You haven't had it, right? Then after, we could siphon some gas from my Uncle's truck so you could take some back to your car.”  
  
The woman is so short compared to him, looking harmless in her long dark skirt and soft tank top and sandals – but her presence, the way she's staring at Armitage and her words – it's enough to make the hair on the back of his neck stand.  
  
“What do you say?” Rey asks.  
  
“Alright,” Armitage says, feeling like if he said no, Rey might do something.  
  
“Wonderful,” Rey chirps, steering her bicycle past him. “Come and follow me, if you will.”  
  
Armitage looks back at Techie and opens the car door, left with no choice but to follow.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Coldness had seeped well into his hands, made his fingers so numb that he could barely feel his brother's warmth when he grasped him by the wrist.  
  
The woods swallows them like a snake once Rey leads them off the main road. The trees are sparse at first – gradually increasing in number as they go deeper, tall and tapered like fangs slowly walking them into the serpent's dark belly. The further they go, the more Armitage is beginning to realize he had made a mistake.  
  
There are no lights leading them, only shadows cast by themselves from the streetlights on the main road. Soon, that too, fades. Armitage has long since overcome his childish fear of the dark but in these woods, at this time, the night seems to close around them like a vice.  
  
A twig snaped when Techie accidentally stumbled on a pebble and lost a bit of balance, overcompensating with his steps as he struggled to keep upright in the dark. Armitage startles at the sound, hand grasping his brother's wrist tighter in surprise.  
  
“I'm sorry,” His brother whispers, bumping shoulders with Armitage.  
  
Armitage stops just before a massive oak tree and moves to grab Techie's hand instead. “How much farther?” He asks, his tone a little demanding.  
  
“We're here,” Rey answers, still steering her bicycle. “Come on, it's just'a couple more steps.”  
  
He was about to ask what she was talking about – there were no houses in sight – when Techie elbows him on the side.  
  
 _“Armie,”_ His brother says in an admonishing tone as he drops his hand, before following Rey's footsteps.  
  
He watches his brother go, stuck on the spot for a moment, thoughts heavy on his tongue – _don't go_ , he means to say, but Techie is already tailing Rey, and–   
  
Suddenly, the house is there.  
  
The clearing surprises him, the well-kept lawn, the brightness of the porchlights. It's a large house: two floors just like theirs, but more comely in a worn, lived-in way. All the windows on the ground floor are lit in an inviting shade of yellow, with shadows moving inside that indicate that the family that reside within are home. Armitage doesn't know how he could not have seen this large of a structure from afar.  
  
 _“Oh,”_ Techie says suddenly, a smile in his voice. He is looking at something ahead, and when Armitage follows his gaze, he sees a familiar pair of glowing eyes.  
  
The black dog from yesterday is bounding up to them, tongue lolling out. Her breaths rush out in harsh pants as she moves, heading straight to Rey.   
  
“Hey, girl,” Rey scratches the dog's head, a smile equally in her voice, just like Techie. “We've got some visitors, so you be good.”  
  
“What's her name?” Techie asks, walking closer to the pair. Armitage has half a mind to pull back his brother and scold him for being too eager about somebody else's pet.  
  
“Betsy,” Rey says, letting the dog sniff out Techie. “She's a big girl, but she's a gentle dog, don't worry.”  
  
Armitage could tell Techie delights in the way the dog demands to be petted – the mutt is moving around in circles, bumping her wide head against Techie's hands and legs, butt wiggling at the rate of her tail-wagging. His brother, of course, indulges it, giving the animal plenty of scratches and rubs.  
  
When the dog ambles around to demand the same from him, it curiously fixates on his left hand – sniffing it with her wet nose, licking his palm, her breath tickling Armitage's clammy skin. The joy he takes out from the interaction is only dampened when he remembers a minute later that he had petted Millicent before he left her at the house with the very same hand.  
  
A sharp whistle makes Armitage jump, for the second time. Betsy suddenly stops nudging at his hand and bolts back to the house, jumping the steps to return to the source of the call.  
  
Ben Solo stands by the porch, wearing dark pants and a worn-looking white button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Both the insides of his arms are inked, the art too far to make out. His dog obediently sits by his feet and looks up at him, as if expecting something – a command, perhaps, but her master only gives her a pat on the head.  
  
“I believe you've met,” Rey says, steering her bike beside one of the bushes.  
  
“Yes,” Armitage and Ben say at the same time.  
  
“Hello, Ben,” Techie says politely, and Ben raises his hand to wave at him.  
  
Rey quirks a brow, glancing at her cousin. “Good to know you haven't lost the ability to speak to another human being.”  
  
“Did you buy the wine?” Ben ignores the jab entirely, expression unimpressed.  
  
Rey takes the brown bag from her basket and takes a bottle out of it. She hands it to him, holding it by the neck. “Knock yourself out,” She says.  
  
Ben takes the bottle without thanks. “These guys joinin' us for dinner?”  
  
“Yes, they are,” Rey says, hugging the remains of her brown paper bag, which looks like it's wrapped around another bottle.  
  
“Hm,” Ben glances at Armitage for a moment. “Ma cooked some fried chicken.”  
  
“Don't spoil the surprise now,” Rey says good-naturedly, climbing up the steps. “Well, we better get inside, or Auntie's mashed potatoes might go cold.”  
  
“Actually,” Ben starts, “I've got somethin' up. With my boys.”  
  
“What do you mean you've got something,” His cousin pauses by the door, suspicious.  
  
“The moon is full tonight,” Ben supplies. He nods up to the sky, where the moon is indeed peeking past the woods.  
  
Rey turns her head to look, contemplative. After a moment, she says, “I see.”   
  
“Tell Ma I'm sorry,” Jogging down the steps, Ben heads off, wine bottle in tow, his dog trotting obediently behind him.  
  
“Nuh-uh – I ain't tellin' her nothin'. _You_ tell 'er yourself when you get back,” Rey counters, watching her cousin go. Ben just raises his hand in the air, waving twice.  
  
When he's is out of earshot, Armitage turns back to Rey, wetting his lips before he speaks. “He's drinking with his friends?” It was barely past seven in the evening.  
  
“Oh, he's doing something worse,” Rey says like she's merely talking about the weather. “But don't worry about him, he'll be fine.”  
  
Armitage wants to say he has absolutely no plans worrying about Ben, but the words are lost in his mouth when he steps inside the house.  
  
In all aspects, it is a warm home – the feel of it, the way it looks. Like the Organa House, this one has wood panelling, only darker, more elegant. The chandelier in the foyer is black and curling, a stark centerpiece amidst the single, straight, wide staircase leading upstairs. Along the hallways Armitage could see picture frames, both on the walls and tabletops – some are faded and grey, some more recent, colored, lively, accompanied with ceramic vases filled with flowers he could only imagine to name. In fact, he notes, there are a lot of vases around, with flowers in them.  
  
The air smells like something baked had been brought out of the oven, and the further they go inside, the stronger it gets. Armitage could already feel his mouth watering at the prospect of a home-cooked meal, his stomach equally churning in agreement, and by the look on his brother's face, he is not alone in feeling this way.  
  
When they arrive in the dining room, they see an old man placing plates and cutlery on the table. He's slightly balding with salt and pepper hair, but even with that and the wrinkles on his face, Armitage could tell the man was handsome – even more so when he had been young.  
  
“I brought some friends with me,” Rey says as a greeting. The old man looks up from his task and peers at her like he just interrupted him from watching a favourite baseball match.  
  
He takes a long look at Armitage and Techie, as if sizing them up. “For God's sake,” He begins, _“Another_ set of twins.”  
  
Rey laughs as the old man continues to grumble about something incomprehensible, moving forward so she could place a kiss on his cheek. “Be nice, Uncle. These are our neighbors – the one we were talkin' about the other day.”  
  
“Is that right?” The old man says in that gravelly voice of his, “You boys bought that house?”  
  
“Yes, sir,” Armitage answers, stepping forward, extending a hand to shake. “Armitage Hux – pleased to meet you.”  
  
“He's formal, this one,” The old man says to his niece. Rey just rolls her eyes. “I'm Han Solo.”  
  
When they shake hands, he notes that Han's grip is firm. His palm feels rough, like it has a lot of callouses.  
  
“You must be Ben's dad,” His brother supplies. “I'm William – but please, just call me Techie.”  
  
“You've met that kid of mine? Ha. What a surprise,” He snorts, looking conspiratorially back at Rey after he shakes hands with Techie. “Where is he, anyway? Told him to set the table and he bailed out on me.”  
  
“He's got things to do,” Rey says, placing her hand on her uncle's shoulder. “Left just a moment ago.”  
  
“Right,” Han's expression changes briefly, like a passing shadow. “Well, his mother is _not_ going to be happy.”  
  
Said mother and her brother comes in a few moments later, hands full with a ceramic casserole. If asked to describe Leia Solo and Luke Skywalker, Armitage wouldn't say she and her brother looked exactly alike, as he later learns that they are actually twins – but the similarity is there. The shape of the face, the chin, the pout of the lips – and the hair, _god_ , the hair. Armitage is now certain where Ben Solo got the genes for that.  
  
“Oh, good evening,” says Leia.  
  
From those three words alone, he realizes why both husband and niece are afraid of her.  
  
Leia has a presence about her, like Rey. She's pleasant to look at, with that obviously pretty face – but there is power behind her smile, as if one can expect her to know all of one's deepest secrets. The dining room of this house might be brightly lit but Armitage thinks he'd rather encounter Rey in the dark with her eerie glowing eyes than sit with Leia Solo over dinner.  
  
On the other hand, Luke is a solemn soul within the house. When he smiles, Armitage is oddly put in peace, as if nothing could ever go wrong with him there. He should find it odd, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to question it.  
  
“Armitage and William, is it?” Luke says, after the introductions were out of the way, “Well, sit down, sit down – and please, help yourselves.”  
  
Armitage couldn't even bring himself to correct Luke and insist that he be referred to as Hux only. He sits, he grabs a serving spoon. He obeys.  
  
“I told you, it's dangerous – we've already gotten rid of him, that should be the end of it. _”_ Leia's voice is rising in tone, emotion clearly behind it. “I don't want my son doing anything more with that wretch.”  
  
“Let him do what he wants, Leia,” Han says, pushing the brown beans around his plate, before scooping them up with a fork.   
  
“He knows what he's doing,” Luke sighs, dabbing a napkin on his mouth, “He can handle it. Just let him be.”  
  
Armitage looks up, knife and fork in his hands. “I'm sorry?” He says, the topic of conversation lost to him. The taste of salted pork is in his mouth, the smooth, grainy feel of chewed beans and mashed potatoes on his tongue. When he turns back to his plate, the remains of his meal stares back at him.  
  
He feels full, but he does not remember eating anything.  
  
“More wine?” Luke asks.  
  
“Yes, thank you,” Armitage says instantly. _Of course_ he'll have more wine.   
  
Rey clears her throat, looking pointedly at her father. “What's for dessert?”   
  
Luke looks abashed for a moment, putting back the wine on the table after he had served Armitage another glass. “I made peach pie.”   
  
“I'll go get it,” Rey fixes him with another look before rising from her seat.  
  
Out of the blue, Techie burps.   
  
“Oh,” He says, blinking. He stares at his hands for a second, looking confused, as if it's the first time he has seen a knife and a fork. “I'm sorry.”  
  
“No worries, darling. More chicken?” Leia smiles and offers him the platter.  
  
Techie licks his lips. It's coated in grease, he notes. “Oh, no, thank you Mrs. Solo, but I'm full.”  
  
“I hope you saved some space for dessert,” She smiles, setting the plate of chicken down.  
  
Techie smiles back at her, but Armitage could tell he's just as baffled as he is right now.  
  
“So, how are you boys faring in Alderaan so far? Is the house treating you well?” Leia begins when Rey comes back with the pie. Her niece cuts out slices for everyone, handing them out in small, ceramic plates.   
  
“We're doing – alright, thank you,” Armitage answers, not sure for a heartbeat what house Leia is referring to and why she referred to it that way. “The house – the house is wonderful. Very spacious, very lovely.”  
  
“It is, isn't it?” Leia agrees, “My Uncle and Aunt loved that house. I do too – I lived in it for a time, you know.”  
  
“Ah,” Armitage pauses, remembering Mr. Seeley's story. “You were the past owner of it, Mrs. Solo?”  
  
“Mm-hmm,” Leia nods, “I didn't want to part with it, but it's rarely lived in these days – Luke doesn't want the house, and neither does Ben – Rey's off to college, and I know she'd be wanting a home in the city – so what was I supposed to do? I could not just let it rot. I have to honor my Uncle and Aunt, bless their souls.”  
  
“Of course,” Armitage says, uncertain about adding anything to the conversation.   
  
“And William, you're doing better, aren't you? It must have been hard, recovering after your surgery with so many complications. Alderaan is just perfect for you – being closer to nature would help.”  
  
“Yes,” Techie says, sparing a glance at his brother, “Yes, it _is_ helping, thank you.”  
  
Leia smiles. Her elbows are on the table, hands clasped as if in prayer, watching them. Armitage notes that she's the one sitting at the center, instead of her husband.  
  
“Well, don't be shy, boys,” Luke says, sharing a look with his sister, “Dig in, please, before the pie gets cold.”  
  
“Thank you,” Armitage and Techie obeys. Of course. They wouldn't want that to happen, wouldn't they?  
  
“They need gas,” Rey says. “They're out, met them right on the road. Uncle, you think you could siphon some from the truck?”  
  
“No problem,” Han rises, getting one last sip of wine before he goes. “Gimme a minute. I'll put it in a container so these boys could carry it back to their car.”  
  
Armitage blinks, watching him stand. There is a dessert fork in his hand, and the sweet, unique taste of peaches lingering in his mouth. “Thank you,” He compulsively says to Han.  
  
Han Solo says nothing as he goes, only raising his hand in the air, waving the gratitude away.  
  
“I hope you boys had a good time with us,” Leia says, still smiling. “Please, come by anytime – we'll be delighted to have you again.”  
  
Armitage returns the smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Solo, we appreciate it.” The dinner is already over, but he doesn't say he couldn't remember half of the things that had transpired in the time that they spent here.  
  
After a few more minutes of small talk, Han returns with a container partly filled with fuel. Hux thanks him and the rest of the family for their hospitality, his mind still trying to piece together the events that lead them to this moment.  
  
“Just come to our house if ever you need anything, alright?” Rey walks them out, sandaled feet making crunching noises everytime she steps on some dead leaves. They follow a path leading to the main road, the moon bright above the sky. Armitage tries to remember if this is the same path they traversed through earlier but the pebbly driveway is just unfamiliar to him.  
  
“Well, good night,” Rey says when they get to their destination, a smile on her face. “See you guys around.”  
  
With that goodbye, she turns, and heads back. Soon enough, she is swallowed by the woods, the form of her vanishing like a ghost in the night.  
  
Armitage doesn't say anything about it. He doesn't even ask where's the pebbly road they were just walking on just mere seconds ago – it's gone, there is only woods, there. What he does is he loads the fuel into his car, stowing away the now empty container in the trunk, and gets in the driver's seat, starting up the engine.  
  
Techie comes in as well, buckling himself up. Once settled, Armitage drives them home.  
  
In the comfort of their own house, the silence stretches. Armitage sets the keys to his car on the coffee table as he sits on the couch, still full from the dinner that he cannot completely recall having. His brother hovers just in the doorway of the living room, his coat still on, mouth open as if to speak.  
  
 _“So,”_ Techie says. It ends at that.  
  
“Yeah,” Armitage agrees. He looks at his brother, the taste of Luke Skywalker's peach pie still on his tongue. Oh, he _knows._

 


	3. Chapter 3

Halfway through his coding, the power goes out.  
  
The house is quiet without it. Techie removes his headphones, the music gone along with the lines of code he had been slaving on for two hours. He's not too bothered by it – he has long learned to save every few seconds. He knows his work is safe within the drives.  
  
Standing, he walks to the light switch near the door frame. Gives it a few flicks. Nothing. Techie knows it's fruitless and a complete waste of time, but he can't help it – he gives it another flick, eyes glued to the chandelier in his room.  
  
The lights stay unlit.  
  
“Right,” Techie says in resignation, hand falling back to his side. The house stays quiet.  
  
He gives his brother a call. Armitage works two states away – he's a mechanical engineer for a large company, and an associate for another, doing research. Techie had tried to convince him not to buy a house so far away from his work, but his brother just won't budge. Says Techie needs his space, the fresh air, a change. He loves him for it, but he thinks Armitage driving for four hours just to get to work is just too much.  
  
 _“What's wrong?”_ Is what Armitage says first when he picks up.  
  
“Nothing, just – the power went out,” Techie says, suddenly embarrassed. “Don't worry, I think – I think it's just a one time thing. Maybe it'll be back in a few hours.”   
  
_“Oh,”_ Armitage pauses for a moment. _“Alright. Be careful.”  
  
_ “You too.”  
  
When the call ends, Techie panics a little. When his brother gets home and there's still no electricity, what is he going to do?  
  
“It's fine,” He tells himself, hand gripping his phone tight. Maybe Alderaan really does suffer from power outtages from time to time. He better ask the Solos.  
  
He abandons his pajamas and gets into something more presentable. It takes him more time than necessary, convincing himself all the way that _it's alright_ , there's nothing wrong about asking somebody about this, even though his neighbors are a little... Peculiar. It's going to be fine.  
  
When he's all set, Techie makes it all the way to the porch before remembering he's still wearing his indoor slippers.  
  
The second time he goes out, he forgets his keys and locks himself out of his own house.  
  
“Okay,” Techie says, looking around as if the surroundings would provide him with an answer to his dilemma. It's no big deal, he tells himself. He could just open a window and climb back inside.  
  
The thing is – he remembers closing all the windows in the first floor this morning, turning their respective locks one by one.  
  
Close to panicking, Techie sits on the steps of their porch, hands clammy as he craddles his head in his palms. It's going to be okay, he tells himself. He can just ask the Solos for assistance.  
  
A dark part inside him complains that he's just going to be a nuisance – a man grown, so idiotic to have locked himself from his own home, anxious by a mere power outtage and terrified of asking other people for help. Techie bites his lower lip hard, breaths starting to come out faster. What will Armie say when he gets home from work and finds him here?  
  
“It's going to be okay,” Techie reminds himself loudly, imagining his brother's voice in his head. It's going to be okay.  
  
It takes him a long time to calm down, but he manages it. He breathes through his nose and exhales with his mouth. He could do it. He reminds himself again and again until the blood returns to the tips of his fingers, until he could bring himself to stand without his knees shaking and giving out.  
  
Techie marches right until he hits the main road, counting his steps. The Solos are kind – they will never laugh at him. Hopefully. He wishes Rey would be home, or even Ben. Techie doesn't think he'd be able to handle talking to Leia in his state.  
  
The weather is mellow enough for him to be able to walk comfortably. It's cloudy – close to overcast, but it doesn't look like it's going to rain. Techie tries to remember where the Solo's driveway is, but wherever he looks, there isn't any opening that would lead him to a house. It's all just woods. There isn't even any mailbox in sight.  
  
Running out of courage, Techie wrings his fingers and continues walking until the road curves to a turn. He doesn't remember this part of the way, even from last night's excursion. Before he could turn back and rethink his choices, he spots a man on a ladder against an electric post, wearing dark green overalls.  
  
It brings him such relief to see another human being that Techie doesn't think and rushes to the man. “Excuse me? Excuse me!”  
  
The man turns, pausing in his tinkering. He's blond, with curly, unruly hair, a pair of wide-rimmed glasses perched on a strong, prominent nose. He's got a lot of moles on his long face, his expression a bit surly as he looks down at Techie. “Um,” The man says, lips pursed, “Yes?”  
  
“I'm so sorry for bothering you,” Techie turns pink, embarrassed at himself, “But um – I – I need some help,” He finishes lamely.  
  
“Right,” The man on the ladder says. He stares at him intensely for a moment, then, “If it's about the power going out, that was me. It'd be back in a minute.”  
  
“Oh,” Techie swallows. “I see. Um – thank you for telling me, but, I uh – I need help on another thing.”  
  
The man doesn't answer immediately. His arm is still raised against the wooden post, a pair of pliers in his gloved hand. “Did your car break dow–”  
  
“I locked myself out of my house,” Techie says so quickly that he doesn't even have time to be ashamed at how fast he had said it. “Can you help me?”  
  
A moment passes. “I'm an electric technician,” says the man in the green overalls.   
  
“Oh,” Techie's face falls. He should have figured that out by the mere fact that the man is on a ladder, busy with wires on an electric post. “I see.”  
  
The man purses his lips again like he's thinking. He clenches his jaw, arm dropping to his side slowly while he looks at Techie. “You're not from around here, are you?”  
  
“I just moved in two days ago.”   
  
“You bought the Organa House?” The man descends the ladder, his boots making little clacking sounds against the metal steps.  
  
He doesn't even ask how the man knows about that. Alderaan must be a small town, if the word of them moving in had circled around so fast. “Me and my brother did, yes.”  
  
“Come on, then,” The man says, dropping his pliers in his orange tool box that was sitting beside the foot of the ladder. He tugs on the fingers of his gloves one by one, then removes them, dropping them as well over the pliers. “Can't guarantee anythin', but I'll try.”  
  
Techie could not help but brighten up at this. “Oh, thank you so much – uh...”  
  
“The name's Matt,” The blond says, bending down to grab his toolbox by the handle.  
  
“Thank you, Matt. I'm Techie,” He replies automatically, which earns him a look from Matt. “It's just a nickname.”  
  
“Okay,” Matt wrinkles his nose, nudging his glasses up. “Let's go, then. Techie.”  
  
Techie leads the way back to his house, but Matt seems to know exactly where to go. It makes him suspicious. Suddenly, he's second-guessing his choice of bringing this stranger to their home, his palms going cold once more.  
  
“So, um – have you been around these parts?” Even in his own ears, it sounded bad. Techie tries to contain his cringe, avoiding on looking at Matt in fear of seeing his judgement on his face.  
  
“A few times. Did repairs on your house myself, back when it wasn't yours yet.”  
  
“I see.” Of course. Matt is an electric technician. Techie suddenly feels bad about being suspicious of him. “You live here?” Another stupid question. He bites the insides of his cheeks, his face heating up at his choice of words. Of course he lives here. Matt is probably a local.  
  
“Born and raised,” Matt confirms his line of thinking, and takes no notice of Techie's internal struggle. “You don't sound like an American.” He pauses. “British?”  
  
“Yeah,” Techie nods, pretending to look at where he's going so he could avoid eye contact. “My brother and I migrated here after our father died.”  
  
“I'm sorry for your loss,” Matt offers quietly. Techie just snorts.  
  
“He was an asshole anyway,” He shrugs. “It's fine. But, thank you. For saying that.”  
  
Techie is saved from making any more small talk when his house comes to view. He leads Matt to the porch, wiping his damp hands on his pants as he stares at the front door. “Here we are,” He says uselessly.   
  
Placing his toolbox down, Matt crouches in front of the door and stares at the lock. “You wouldn't mind if I took out the lock, would you?”  
  
“Um,” He doesn't know what he'll tell Armie if he comes home to see their lock dismantled. “I'd prefer if you didn't resort to that.”  
  
Matt nods and turns back to the lock. He looks pensive, then he reaches into his toolbox. He takes some of the wrenches out before he finally finds what he's looking for – some sort of pelt sleeve. When he rolls it out, it's full of hairclips.  
  
Matt takes two and straightens them out. Then, he inserts both inside the keyhole and starts moving one around.  
  
He manages to unlock the door after fifteen minutes.  
  
“There you go,” Matt says, standing up and opening the door for him.  
  
“Wow,” Techie's mouth is left agape. He had never seen anyone pick a lock before. “That was amazing.”  
  
Matt shrugs. “Could have done it faster.”  
  
“Where did you learn to do that?” Techie asks, still in awe.  
  
“Had my fair share of troublemaking in my youth,” says Matt with a faraway look, as if he's already an old man enjoying his retirement. “You gonna be okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Techie breaks into a smile, grateful as he is. “Thank you so much, Matt.”  
  
“Anytime,” Matt says. He stares at Techie for a moment as if he's debating on saying more, but it passes and he looks away. “Right. Got to – got to go back now.”  
  
“Okay,” Techie nods. He watches him go, bulky boots clomping down the steps of his porch before he remembers his manners. “Wait, Matt–”  
  
“What's your _real_ name?” Matt interupts him, suddenly turning, spiting out the words as if they were wretched out of his mouth unwillingly.  
  
The question throws Techie off completely for a few seconds. “It's – William,” He says, blinking.   
  
“William,” Matt repeats, expression intense. His lips are pursed again. Techie is beginning to think this is just his usual expression.  
  
“Yes,” He nods, looking away, unable to maintain eye contact while Matt continues to stare straight at his face, “Look, Matt, I – how much do I owe you? For, uh. The door.”  
  
“Don't worry about it” says Matt. “Consider it charity.”  
  
“Then – would you mind if – I could maybe make some tea, for you, if you're thirsty? Repairing wires must be hard work.”  
  
“Tea,” Matt parrots again. His eyebrows furrow further.  
  
“Yes, tea,” Techie sweats where he stands. He would have wrung his hands if he wasn't so pathetic to do it in front of another person. “Have some biscuits too. If you want.”  
  
“Okay,” Matt drops his toolbox so quickly that Techie startles a bit. He steps back to the porch, his eyes never leaving Techie's.   
  
“Okay,” Techie says. He could see Matt's eyes roaming around his face, his gaze so unrelenting that he could feel his neck flush. What an intense person, he thinks, unable to look away. “Come inside? Please.”  
  
Millicent greets Techie upon his return. The cat meeps and meows at him, rubbing her ginger body against his ankles, before sniffing the air around Matt when he follows him inside. She's cautious at first, then curious. By the time the both of them are in the kitchen, she's purring against his feet.  
  
“I'm sorry for the mess,” Techie waves at the boxes still pilled at a corner of their hallway. “We're still sorting things out.”  
  
“It's not a problem,” Matt says, and sits by the counter uninvited, like he knows the place. He probably does.  
  
Techie gets a tin of tea in one of the cupboards and brings out that ridiculous pumpkin tea pot Armitage hates so much. He shovels some dried tea leaves and flowers into the pot, the scent already wafting up to his nose, and puts the kettle on right after.  
  
When he turns back to Matt, he sees a strange look on the man's face.  
  
Fearing that he might have done something wrong, Techie turns his back on him again and fetches another tin from the cupboard. It's butter cookies, this time.  
  
“Please, help yourself,” Techie says as he places the tin in front of Matt. He feels like an old lady instantly. Belatedly, he thinks he should have offered him a sandwich instead.  
  
Matt doesn't complain though, despite his expression of confusion. “Thank you.” He picks up a cookie, not bothering to wash his hands or anything, and pops the whole thing in his mouth.  
  
While waiting for the kettle to whistle, Techie tries again for some small talk.  
  
“Houses are really scattered apart here, huh? My brother and I – we didn't even know we had a neighbor, not until two days ago.”  
  
Matt is on his third cookie when he replies. “It's not an uncommon mistake to make. The woods are thick around here.” He pauses, looking at Techie, intensity untarnished. “You met the Solos?”  
  
“Yes. We had dinner together, just last night,” A dinner he could barely remember, more like. The peach pie did taste good, though. “They invited us over.”  
  
Matt dusts his hands and says nothing in response. Luckily, the silence is saved by the kettle whistling.  
  
Techie goes about the motions of tea-brewing, pouring both himself and Matt a mug of it when he's done. The aroma is floral and sweet, and Techie hopes his guest wouldn't mind his taste.  
  
“You met the matriarch?” Matt asks out of the blue, gaze entire unseeing, a muscle in his jaw jumping.  
  
Techie takes a few seconds to catch on, but when he does, he nods. “Mrs. Solo? Yes. The whole family was there, save from Ben.”  
  
At the mention of Ben's name, Matt looks up at him.   
  
Techie does not fail to see it. “You know him?”   
  
“He's my distant cousin,” Almost conspiratorily, Matt leans closer. “His grandmother on his mother's side is my grandfather's sister on my father's side.”  
  
Techie doesn't even try to parse that out. “I see.”   
  
“I didn't know he's back in town,” Matt glares at his tea, then drinks from the mug. He drains a quarter of it rather aggressively, despite the heat.  
  
“Where did he go before?”  
  
The faraway look returns to Matt's eyes. “He was on a personal business. With his boys.”  
  
Ben had said the same thing last night. Techie itches to pry, but he knows he shouldn't.  
  
“I wish I could help him,” Matt says with a wistful air, “But my parents and his – they don't see eye to eye no more. So I've kept my distance.”  
  
“That's awful. I'm so sorry to hear that. Disagreements are always hard to bear, especially within families.”  
  
Matt looks like he wants to expound on that, but he just drinks his tea instead. “If I were you, I'd keep my distance, too. Just for the meantime.”  
  
Techie doesn't know what to say to that. Sure, the Solos are quite the peculiar bunch, but they're kind. Welcoming. “What do you mean, for the 'meantime'?”  
  
“Just don't stick your nose into things you shouldn't be stickin' them into.”  
  
Their brief tea time ends with Matt thanking Techie for the biscuits. Before he steps out the front door, Matt suddenly blurts out a string of numbers, telling Techie that he should write it down just in case he needs his services, saying quickly that he works at a repair shop in town. Techie doesn't think anything of it after the first ten minutes of Matt's absence, but he colors when he realizes his untimely visitor didn't give him a landline number for the office of this repair shop of his.  
  
It was a phone number – a personal number.  
  
Techie remains feeling hot even after the electricity returns, Matt's odd statements forgotten.

* * *

  
It's late and Armitage is very, very tired.  
  
The road stretches on before him, deserted and quiet. Muscles weary and stiff, he tries to stretch in his car's cramped space, bending his neck this way and that to relieve the monotony of sitting and looking ahead. His eyelids are not drooping yet, but they're close to.  
  
Trees line the way to the town of Alderaan. The woods are thick and tall and menacing in the dark, his headlights hitting their barks and casting weird shadows in its wake. Armitage tries not to stare too long at them.  
  
Soon enough, he enters the town. The first establishment he sees is a diner – Ol' Pip's. The tacky neon sign are red in cursive writing, the 'OPEN 24 HOURS' in blocky, blue letters which are sadly, aren't lighting up anymore. Since 1953, it says just underneath the name.  
  
Armitage thinks about waking up at four in the morning tomorrow, and the consequential four hour drive.  
  
He takes a turn and heads to the diner. Buying some food he could pack in his trip as a breakfast would be a timesaver.  
  
His car is the only one parked there, but judging by the time, he's not surprised. Walking up to the door, he pushes it, the bells on it jingling, and steps inside.  
  
The diner is empty, but there's a smell of something frying in the air, with a sound accompanying it. Armitage walks up to the counter and finds a bell, and rings it.   
  
No one comes out to greet him.  
  
“Hello?” He calls out tentatively. The diner did say it was open 24 hours, and it's not even midnight yet. He rings the bell again, twice this time. Still nothing.  
  
Confused and a bit disappointed, Armitage heads out of the diner and back to his car.  
  
“Out for a midnight snack?”  
  
Armitage nearly jumps out of his skin, startling so badly he drops his keys on the asphalt of the parking lot. When he turns to look who had talked, he sees Ben Solo – hands in the pockets of his dark pants, his dog Betsy by his side. She isn't on a leash, this time.  
  
“Sorry,” Ben says, but he doesn't look sorry at all. “Didn't mean to scare you.”  
  
“You didn't scare me,” Comes Armitage's defensive retort. He bends down to pick up his car keys and unlocks the door, headlights blinking. “And I didn't drive all the way out here just for a snack.”  
  
“Just got home from work?” He guesses.  
  
“I _was_ going home,” Armitage corrects him. “What are _you_ still doing out here?”  
  
Ben nods his head down toward his dog. “Took Betsy for a walk.”  
  
“Do you always take her during the night?”  
  
“She prefers it,” Ben shrugs. He stares at Armitage's SUV for a moment, then looks back at him. “Can you give us a ride?”  
  
He could have sneered. The nerve of him, Armitage thinks. Just because they were invited over to dinner that one time does not mean Ben could treat it like a ticket to any favor he could think of leeching from Armitage.  
  
“Please? My dog's tired,” Ben steps closer to him, and the dog follows. It starts wagging its tail, heading straight to Armitage. She sniffs at his pants and nudges him with her wet nose.  
  
 _Damn it,_ Armitage thinks, and relents. “Just make sure she doesn't make a mess inside.”  
  
Ben ends up in the passenger seat with his beast of a dog, wiping at her paws with a towel or rag of some sort that he pulled from God knows where. Armitage eyes them in the rear-view mirror, watching Ben clean her thoroughly, the dog lying on her back, feet in the air, mouth open and tongue lolling out. She looks like she's enjoying the attention.  
  
When Armitage pulls out of the parking lot, he takes one last look at the empty diner – only, it isn't so empty, anymore. There is someone at the counter, pouring coffee into a cup. A man is sitting in one of the booths, tucking into his food.  
  
“What the fuck,” Armitage says quietly, still watching it all.  
  
“What?” Ben looks up from his task. “Did you say something?”  
  
Armitage drags his eyes away from the diner, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. He debates on telling Ben what had happened but – maybe he just made a mistake. He was tired, after all. Might just be his imagination.  
  
“Nothing,” He ends up saying despite being torn about it, and drives on.  
  
“You're back pretty late,” Ben begins after a few minutes of silence, wiping one of Betsy's hind feet now. “Tough day?”  
  
“Something like that,” He answers, unwilling to elaborate. “Where do you work?”  
  
“I don't,” Ben says, catching his gaze in the rear-view mirror. “I quit a few months ago.”  
  
“Oh,” Armitage tries not to be judgemental about it. He may not like Ben very much, but he can understand the frustration of working somewhere that you don't want to work in. “What was your job?”  
  
“Retail,” Ben answers after a moment of dead air. “Sort of. The shop I used to work in sells... Very specific things.”  
  
Armitage raises an eyebrow. He's guilty of immediately thinking of sex toys. “I see. Why did you quit?”  
  
“Got a big argument with my boss,” Finally, Ben finishes cleaning up his dog's paws. Betsy rolls on her belly and sits, looking around the car.   
  
“It's about the pay, isn't it?”  
  
“Something like that,” Ben says with a little quirk of the lips.   
  
The rest of the ride is silent, save from Betsy shuffling around and breathing with her mouth open. Armitage has a distinct feeling of being watched, but when he glances at Ben through the rear-view mirror, the other man is just watching the scenery outside. Maybe he's just too slow to catch him in the act.  
  
“Here is fine,” Ben says, when they draw near the Organa House's driveway.  
  
Armitage breaks and looks to his right. To his surprise, there's another driveway there. There's even a mailbox.  
  
“Everything okay?” Ben asks, seeing the confused look on his face.  
  
He swallows. Armitage turns, looks at Ben. He's so tempted to ask – he must be missing something here, or maybe there's something wrong with this town. The Solo's perpetually disappearing driveway. Ol' Pip's 24 Hour Diner. The sounds he hears at night. It's all starting to get to him, and it hasn't even been a week.  
  
“Ben,” Armitage begins, licking his lips. Ben's gaze drops to his mouth. “I want to ask you something–”  
  
“Ask me over dinner,” Ben suddenly says. “Are you free this Saturday?”  
  
“What?” He is so taken off guard that he can't think fast enough. “I'm – yeah. Yes. I am.”  
  
“Good,” Ben actually smiles. “I'll pick you up at six.”  
  
Armitage watches this strange man get out of his car, his black dog jumping out and following him.   
  
“Thanks for the ride,” Ben gives him a wave goodbye, pushing the car door shut. “See you on Saturday.” And off he goes into the dark.  
  
Later, when he gets home, Armitage only belatedly realizes Ben might have asked him out to dinner. And like an idiot, he agreed.

 


End file.
